Providence Civil Compact
First settlers of Providence Those who came to Seekonk with Roger Williams early 1636 Roger Williams (1602-1683) was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in October 1635 but was allowed to remain at his home in Salem until the end of winter, provided that he did not preach. However, his followers visited him at his home in sizable numbers, and the authorities deemed this as preaching. He was to be apprehended and put on a ship for England in January 1636. He was, however, tipped off by magistrate John Winthrop and slipped away from Salem near the middle of January, in the dead of winter, to find shelter with the Wampanoags. He bought a parcel of land in Seekonk from Wampanoag sachem Massasoit which was then at the western edge of the Plymouth Colony (now Rehoboth, Massachusetts). In a 1677 statement, Williams mentioned the four who were with him at Seekonk. The five members of the group were:Arnold, 97Bicknell, 1:158 * Roger Williams (1602-1683) - Puritan leader * William Harris (1610-1681) legal agent and writer, made several trips to England, including one where he was captured by Barbary pirates for ransom. *John Smith (miller) *Francis Wickes *Thomas Angell Those who first settled Providence ]] In the spring of 1636, Williams and his company planted crops at Seekonk but were informed in a gentle letter from Governor Edward Winslow of Plymouth that they were within Plymouth's jurisdiction, and this fact would cause difficulties with the Massachusetts authorities. Without urgency, Winslow suggested that Williams and his group move across the Seekonk River into the territory of the Narragansetts, where no colony had any claim. By this time, it is likely that the family members of the original settlers had joined the group. Two other families also joined the settlement. Joshua Verin wrote a statement in 1650 mentioning "we six which came first to Providence", suggesting that he was the next to join the original five.Chapin, 11 Also, Benedict Arnold later wrote, "Memm. We came to Providence to Dwell the 20th of April, 1636"; Providence had not yet been established, so he certainly was referring to Seekonk, where the Arnolds came from Hingham to join the other settlers. It is likely, therefore, that sometime about June 1636 the following 25 people crossed the river from Seekonk, in the Plymouth Colony, to a location on the Moshassuck River in Narragansett territory which Williams soon named Providence Plantation: * Roger Williams (1602-1683) - puritan leader with wife Mary and daughters Mary and Freeborn * William Harris (1610-1681) legal agent and writer, made several trips to England, including one where he was captured by Barbary pirates for ransom. With wife Susannah and son Andrew *John Smith (miller) with wife Alice and children John Jr. and Elizabeth *Francis Wickes, a minor *Thomas Angell, a minor *Joshua Verin with wife Jane * William Arnold (1587-1676) with wife Christian, daughter Joanne, and son Stephen *Benedict Arnold, still a minor, son of William Arnold * William Carpenter (1605-1685) with wife Elizabeth (the daughter of William Arnold) *William Mann with wife Frances Hopkins (the niece of William Arnold) *Thomas Hopkins, still a minor, nephew of William Arnold (and ancestor of Governor Stephen Hopkins) Original proprietors of Providence Those named in a deed from Roger Williams, dated about 8 October 1638: * Roger Williams (1602-1683) - puritan leader *Stukeley Westcott (left Salem about March 1638 *William Arnold (1587-1676) *Thomas James (was minister at Charlestown; Providence by June 1637; left for New Haven in 1639) *Robert Cole (was earlier at Ipswich and Salem) * John Greene (c1594-1658) (had departed Boston by March 1636) *John Throckmorton (was at Salem earlier) * William Harris (1610-1681) legal agent and writer, made several trips to England, including one where he was captured by Barbary pirates for ransom. * William Carpenter (1605-1685) *Thomas Olney (left Salem about March 1638 Providence civil compact, 1637 Several young men were admitted as inhabitants to Providence before the settlement was a year old, but they were discontent with their position and wanted to be able to vote and otherwise have equality with the older settlers. The following resolution was adopted in a town meeting on 20 August 1637, and is sometimes called the "civil compact." The 1637 date was on the original town records, but when they were transcribed in 1800, the page containing that date was missing. The text of the resolution is as follows: We, whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active or passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for public good of our body, in an orderly way, by the major assent of the present inhabitants, master of families, incorporated together into a town fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things. *Richard Scott *William Reynolds X his mark *John Field X his mark *Chad Browne * John Warner (1615-1679) - moved to Warwick RI by 1642, returned to England in 1652. *George Richard *Edward Cope *Thomas Angell X his mark (now an adult) *Thomas Harris *Francis Wickes X his mark (now an adult) *Benedict Arnold (now an adult) *Joshua Winsor *William Wickenden Summary: 1636 Providence Plantation One of several settlers of Providence Plantation in 1636, 1st settlement in the future state of Rhode Island. This group was followers of Roger Williams, who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for heretical preaching. In early 1636 his group went to purchase territory immediately to the west of Plymouth Colony, from the Narrangansett Indians. It is present-day Providence, Rhode Island. References * Roger Williams - Wikipedia * Providence Compact - Wikipedia